Action shifts to clubs after Safari Tour

With the four Safari pro Tour legs concluded, action in the golf scene now shifts to club level where eight events are lined up for this weekend at various clubs in the country.

Top of the list in the weekend events, will be the Kenya Ports Authority tournament at the par 72 Machakos Golf Club course, one of the few nine-hole golf courses that have made tremendous improvement in terms of course and club-house facilities in the country.

Postponed twice

The KPA event, a popular tournament at Machakos and one of the three KPA usually hosts in Machakos, Nairobi and Mombasa, is usually the year opener. This year’s event had been scheduled to take place in February, but was postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hence Machakos golfers are really looking forward to this weekend where a field of 150 players including those from Coast-based clubs of Nyali and Mombasa were drawn to battle it out.

The tournament has also attracted a number of golfers from Nairobi and elsewhere in the country, with Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chairman Ben Omuodo among those travelling from Nairobi.

Mombasa Golf Club captain Wilfred Achila, Paul Munyao, Lawrence Odhiambo leads those coming from Mombasa, with KPA acting managing director Rashid Salim expected to preside over the prize-giving ceremony.

With the Machakos Golf Club suites having been upgraded to four-star level with excellent rooms with up to-date facilities and secure parking, those travelling from outside Machakos may not need to drive back after the event.

Limuru versus Coast

Meanwhile Limuru Country Club will on Friday be hosting the inaugural Limuru versus Coast championship. The event is a culmination of an idea put together by Limuru’s Yassin Awale popularly known as the Chief Pirate of the Limuru Warriors, and Nyali’s Gurbux Singh also known in the golf circles as “Gearbox”.

The two donated the Awale and Gearbox Cup which will be at stake for the winner of Friday’s contest. At least 40 golfers from the Coast undertaking a Nairobi Tour will be in action though the winner who will be determined by a tally of the best cumulative scores of the day from the best 20 and 10 ladies on stableford format from each side.

The event has been sponsored by the Limuru Warriors and Warriorlets who have teamed up with Standard Media Group and Centsavvy Financial Services Group.

A field of over 120 players were drawn for Friday’s event which will be followed by two others at Vet Lab and Thika Greens.

Limuru chairman Dr Caroline Wangari and her captain Fred Ikana said they were enhancing friendship and close relationship between Limuru and golfers from the Coast for the mutual benefit of the members.

Big field at Muthaiga

At Muthaiga Golf Club, Kenya’s home of home, the par 71 course will host the “Gateway to the Wilderness Golf Series’’ grand finale where over 210 players have been drawn to battle it out for a grand prize of two nights for two at Zanzibar Serena with complimentary tickets courtesy of Kenya Airways.

Started by Abeona Travel Africa and Serena Hotels, the nine-event series to promote local tourism in the East Africa region following the Covid-19 pandemic, started at Royal Nairobi Golf Club and later visited Vet Lab, Thika Sports Club, Ruiru, Thika Greens Resort, Kiambu, Sigona, Kenya Railway Golf Club and finally at Muthaiga this weekend.

The course is currently in an excellent condition and some interesting scores are anticipated.